"I don't believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights." ~ Justice Clarence Thomas
According to the CDC and the scientific community, the pandemic won't be over until 70+% of the population is vaccinated against Covid-19. Unfortunately, the United States of America has stagnated at 59%.
A few months ago businesses and states incentivized vaccinations by offering discounts and entrances into million dollar lotteries to people who had been vaccinated. On June 20th, Madison Square Garden reopened with a Foo Fighters concert strictly for vaccinated fans. It didn't work.
Now, there's talk of requiring people to get vaccinated. Some are advocating for tax penalties for not being vaccinated. Employers, public and private, are requiring employees to get the shots.
I believe in science, and I understand we need to hit the 70% threshold before we can putting this nightmare behind us. I got my shots; I get it. That being said, I have real trouble with forcing citizens to put a substance into their bodies.
I've been torn on this issue for quite some time. Part of me is for doing what we need to do, by hook or by crook, in order to benefit the greater good; "needs of the many," and all that. However, the other part of me is screaming in my head about the rights of the individual. Damn if the screaming part of me doesn't have a point, inconvenient though it is.
As Americans, we've been taught to take pride in the fact that we live in a country which founded with the rights of the individual in mind. We celebrate the concept with fireworks and barbecued chickens every July 4th. It's what we say we're about. As dire as the situation is, I'm not sure we can compel compliance without abandoning what the value which defines us as Americans.
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